You're Invited To The Grand Opening
Hi, my name’s Charlie Degler. In the year 2012 my mother, Ellie Degler, or as most people know her by her maiden name Ellie Satler, went missing ever since she left for this business trip she claimed to have. At the time I was really confused because I woke up one morning and as I was about ready to leave I saw a paper on the door. I carefully ripped it off and as I examined it I realized it was a letter from my mom. Dear Charlie, If you’re reading this right now then my assumption about you waking up before you father was correct haha. In all seriousness however I’m sincerely sorry I won’t be able to attend your eighth grade graduation ceremony of course you know how much I would die to be there to see my little boy accept the variety of academic awards I’m positive you received for your work throughout your middle school year. Sadly mommy has a mandatory business trip she needs to attend. I’m not allowed to tell you where I will be going because of classified reasons. What I can tell you is that it may keep me away from home for awhile, but I will be sure to write to you whenever I can. We can only hope your father will have the decency to actually show up for once. Maybe, just maybe, it could make up for everything else he missed. Nonetheless I wish you the bestest of luck. Nobody deserves it more than you do. You’re a very hardworking student, a polite and mature young man, and without a doubt you have a mother who loves you very much. Remember that Charlie. Always remember that. Mommy loves you and always will. No matter what. Love, Momma As I finished reading the letter I sighed in disappointment. I folded up the note and placed it in my front right pocket as I left my house and stepped onto the school bus waiting outside. Ever since then I would check my mailbox each and everyday just to see if she ever wrote back. Sometimes I would even sit on the curb and wait for the mailman to deliver our mail hoping my mother sent me something. Yet every time I asked if there was anything from her he would always say no. One day the very next year I came home from school and the first thing I did was check the mail. Sadly but not surprisingly there was nothing from my mom. I entered my house and the first thing I noticed was my father, Mark Degler, making himself a turkey sandwich. “Dad? You’re home early.” He finished putting together his sandwich as he looked up at me. “Hey there champ! How was school today?” “Um...it was good I guess. Nothing really worth talking about.” He took a huge bite into his sandwich and began to talk still with food in his mouth. “Mmmmm that’s good.” He swallowed his food and looked back at me. “Oh I’m sure that’s not true. Come on tell me about it.” I had no interest in talking to my dad about stuff which isn’t his business. You might believe everything in my life is his business just because he’s my dad but as I grew up I slowly began to realize he never acted like a fatherly figure. That was when I snapped at him. “I already told you. There’s nothing worth talking about. Now eat your stupid sandwich and stop pretending like you didn’t come home just to grab a quick bite to eat.” I dropped my book bag and I started to storm upstairs annoyed. He sighed and started to walk over to me. I stopped halfway up the stairs to hear what he had to say. “Listen Charlie I know you’re still upset about the loss of your mother last year but-” “WE DON’T KNOW WHETHER SHE'S DEAD OR NOT YET STOP SAYING THAT!” “I don’t know who you’re yelling at like that but I hope it isn’t me. Your father. Who is only trying to help you accept the truth.” I quickly turned around before he could think up another sentence. “What truth? The truth about my own father never being there to celebrate my achievements with his oldest son because he was busy with work?” “You’re upset at me because the job that is giving us enough money to keep this roof over our heads has kept me away from missing a few ceremonies? Incase you’ve forgotten your mother was the one who left the both of us for over a year now because she was too busy studying prehistoric plants.” “At least she showed up to all the other ones. Where were you all those other times? Where were you on the first day of kindergarten? Where were you when I graduated elementary school? Where were you every time I was crying my eyes out because I was continuously being bullied by the bigger kids in my school? Oh wait that’s right you were at work. You know who was there though? You know who even quit there job as a paleobotanist and instead became a child’s writer because she believed it would keep her even closer to her family? You know who? MOM! The one time she didn’t show up she at least wrote me a frickin’ letter beforehand. I bet you if The Dinosaur Man was my father instead of you I would’ve at least had both of my parents to be there for me throughout the majority of my life.” “You still call him that? First of all, his real name is Dr. Alan Grant. Secondly, all those idiotic stories your mother told you when you were a kid never actually happened. You really believed all this time that a story about a dinosaur zoo on an island somewhere far far away was a true story? You’re not a kid anymore. You need to put all those childish stories aside, start thinking more maturely, and grow up.” “I’ll grow up when you do and start acting like the father you think you are.” I turned back around and continued running up the stairs. I went into my bedroom, locked the door and hopped onto my bed as I started to cry softly into my pillow. A few minutes later I noticed in the mail an envelope not like the others. I stopped crying and immediately grabbed the note. I opened it and although it wasn’t from my mom, it was still from a familiar name. I began to read the letter in curiosity. Dear Charlie, Hello! My name is John Hammond. I assume your mother has talked about me more than enough for you to know who I am by now. However if my name doesn’t ring a bell I was the former CEO of InGen the company which brought Jurassic Park to life back in 1993 until that dream was unfortunately destroyed. I know the park itself has remained a mystery in your eyes ever since the day you were born, but lucky for you it won’t be a mystery any longer. Thanks to the gigantic amount of funds donated to the Hammond Foundation the Jurassic dream survived. I’m positive you’re confused about where I’m going with this but the answer is quite simple. With the help of our specialized team of scientists, paleontologists, and one paleobotanist in particular who all have devoted their time and of course their money to help create a world 65 million years in the making...Jurassic World. We would like you to be our first guest and see the world you thought only existed in the past. Above all you’ll get to finally see your mother once again after so long. Wouldn't that be nice, Charlie? We’ll be arriving at your house in our private helicopter at exactly 7:30 a.m tomorrow morning. Your father will be out of the house by 7:05 a.m so he won’t be a problem whether you accept our offer or not. Be ready to make your decision by then. We’re counting on it. Sincerely, John Parker Hammond After I finished reading it didn’t take me too long to think. The choice was obvious. The very next day at 7:30 a.m I awoke to the sound of Hammond’s helicopter outside in my own backyard. I quickly ran out and saw two men in dark suits escorting me to the chopper. Once I stepped inside I couldn’t believe it. I was sitting right in front of John Hammond himself. “So? Have you thought about our offer?” He asked me in the sense that he already knew what the answer was. “Indeed I have. Though before I can answer that I must ask you...did it spare any expense?” After hearing that a huge smile grew on John’s face. “But of course not dear boy. None at all.” I immediately smiled back. “That’s what I was hoping you'd say.” Mr. Hammond quickly snapped back to his serious self and ordered the pilot to take off. The helicopter flew up and out of my backyard as we began our journey into the new world...Jurassic World.